Hay-stacker



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

P. W. WHITNEY.

HAY STAGKER.

No; 477,878. a lfi ggzentedJune 28, 1892.

I (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet '2.

P. W. WHITNEY.

HAY STAOKER.

N0. 477,878. Patented June 28, 1892.

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' NITED STATES PATENT OFFIoE.

FRANK w. WHITNEY, or WESSINGTON SPRINGS, souru DAKOTA.

HAY-STACKER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 477,878, dated June 28,1892.

Application filed April 30, 1892.

To all whom it may concern: .7

Be it known that I, FRAN W. WHITNEY, a citizen of the United States,residing at \Vessington Springs, in thecounty of J erauld and State ofSouth Dakota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inHay-Stackers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of the nvention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to hoisting, and more especially to that class ofdevices known as hay-stackers, and the object of the same is to elfectcertain improvements in devices of this character.

To this end the invention consists in the construction hereinafter morefully described and claimed, and as illustrated on the accompanyingdrawings, Wherein- Figure l is a general perspective view of my improveddevice complete ready for operation. Fig. 2 is a perspective detail ofthe telescoping members of the tripod slightly separated, showing, also,the stay-chains at the lower end of the rear leg thereof. Fig. 3 is abottom plan View of a bundle of hay, showing my improved sling assurrounding and supporting the same. Fig. 4 is an enlarged plan View ofthe catch I use on the sling, closed in full lines and open in dottedlines. Fig. 5 is a perspective detail of the parts of this catchslightly separated.

Referring to the said drawings, the letter T designates the tripod orderrick, R the operating or elevating rope, S the sling, H the hay, andG the catches, these parts being of thefollowingspecificconstruction,preferably, although such changes and alterations thereinmay be made as come within the spirit of my invention and will beapparent to the skilled mechanic.

The tm'p0d.This consists of two front legs 1 1, pivoted at their upperends on a bolt 2 through the upper member 3 of the rear leg, which maybe solid like the others, but is preferably extensible or telescoping.In that event the lower membereof this leg has side flanges 4', forminga channel, in which the upper Serial No. 431,343. (No model.)

member 3 slides longitudinally, and pins or bolts 5 are preferablypassed through aligning holes 6 in the two members to lock them inadjusted position. By this means this rear leg may be allowed to adjustitself, or it may be manually adjusted in length; and, if desired, asimilar construction may also be employedin the front legs, although Ihave thus far found such adjustment desirable only at the rear of thetripod. 7 7 are two stay-chains secured to the rear leg and to pins 8 8in the ground, whereby the resistance of the work being done will nottend to topple the tripod over forward.

The operating-rope.Th is is lettered R, and leads from a whiiiletree 10(or other source of power) under a wheel 11 on the rear leg, upalong'beneath the same to and over a block 12, suspended from the apexof the tripod, v(preferably by a clevis 13, hung on the bolt 2,) andthence between the front legs 1 and to the center of The sZing.2O is aring, which may have a central cross-bar 21, to which the rope R isattached, and radiating from this ring are several ropes or lines,preferably four, as shown at 22 22 23 23, the two latter having eyes 242st at their outer free ends and the two former being connected at theirouter ends with a distending bar 25, which is preferably (although notnecessarily) provided. The eyes 24 are adapted to be engaged under hooksor pegs 26, which are sunk in the ground, as indicated in Fig. 1, orthey may. be detachably engaged with the catches O, as shown in Fig. 3,and at this time the distending bar 25 (if used) causes the sling toembrace the bundle of hay near its ends with the apparent advantages.

The catches.Secured, as by bolts 30, to the bar 25, near its ends, arethe stationary members of the two (or more) t rip-catches 0. Each ofsuch members 31 stands across the bar and has at one end an eye 32, towhich the outer end of a line 22 is connected, while at the other sideof the bar it is curved around, as at 33, having a spur 34twithin thehook thus formed. The pivoted member of each catch comprises a doublebody 35, whose sides spur and extend thence upward to an eye 37,

wherein is. fastened the trip-rope 38. Below the point-36 the sidesstand astride the stationary member and follow nearly the same curve, asat 39, and a pivot 40 is passed through the tips of the three booksformed by these members. Said trip-rope preferably leads from the twoeyes 37 (or from all such eyes, if more than two catches be used) to apoint 38, where they are connected, and thence a common rope 38 is ledto within convenient reach of the operator.

The operation of this improvedhay-stacker is as follows: The tripod isset up adjacent the point where it is desired the stack shall be formed,the rear leg adjusted, and staychains applied, and the rope R properlystrung, as described. Pegs or hooks 26 are then secured, the eyes 24engaged under them, and the hooks sunk into the ground below the surfacethereof at a point which will be forward of the stack that is to beformed. The sling above described is then spread out in the form of aletter X, its front feet being at these eyes, its center connecting withthe rope R, and its rear feet being held separated by the bar 25, (ifemp1oyed,) which lies on the ground parallel with the line of the hooks.The bay to be stacked is then drawn from the cooks or hills by anyapproved pattern of horse-rake or by hand and is moved over and upon thesling as the latter lies on the ground. Obviously the hooks by beingentirely sunken will not catch in the hay, yet will prevent the slingbeing displaced. When a sufficiently-large bundle of hay has been piledonto the sling, the operator disengages the eyes 24 from the hooks, (asby pulling the pegs forcibly from the ground,) passes them over thebundle, and engages them with the aligned hooks 33 and 39 of thecatches. Signal is then passed to the boy or attendant in rear of thetripod and he starts his horse to draw on the rope R. It will be noticedthat this rope passes now under the bundle to the center of the X-shaped sling. Hence as the rope is drawn the bundle is first rolled overoutward or away from the tripod, so as to bring the ring 20 uppermostand the catches O at the bot tom of the bundle, and thereafter continuedpull on the rope R elevates the bundle into the tripod and into positionto form the stack. When at the proper point, the operator draws quickly011 the trip-rope and the catches are opened, as seen in dotted lines inFig. 4, when the eyes 24 simultaneously pass out and the sling opens atthe bottom to drop the bundle directly onto the spot where the stack isto be formed. Thisoperation is repeated as the stack is built, and thegrowing of the latter in size will soon render it desirable that thefront legs of the tripod be set farther forward. However, as suchsetting would lower the pivotal bolt just at the time when the height ofthe stack makes it desirable that the block 12 be not lowered, Iconsider it desirable that the rear-leg should be extensible, as abovedescribed. As the front legs are set forward, this rear leg is thenextended, as will be understood, and as such enlargement of the tripodtakes place the sling will be secured to the ground a little forward ofHS or ginal position, in order that its operation will not be interferedwith by the then larger stack.

WVith respect to the specific form of catches which I employ in thisconnection, it will be seen that since the pivot is at the tips of thehooks, the eye 24, when it stands in the throats of these hooks, willtend to draw the connecting-point 36 against the stationary member abovethe spur rather than to cause the catch to open or dump. At this time,too, the spur projects across the mouth of the aligned hooks, and thusprevents any accidental displacement of the eye 24. When the pivotedjmember is turned by the trip-rope, the eye '24 is caused to pass overthe pivot- 40 and the'strain of the sling then draws on this eye andresults in the positive opening of the catch.

\Vhat is claimed as new is 1. In a hay-stacker, the combination, withthe elevating device, of a hay-sling consisting of a central ring, anelevating-rope secured to a cross-bar therein, radiating lines leading.from said ring, eyes at the freeends'of half of said lines, peg-hooksadapted to engage said eyes and to be seated in the ground, and catchescarried by the outer ends of the other .half of said lines and alsoadapted to engage said eyes, the Whole operating substantially asdescribed.

2. In a hay-stacker, the combination, w th the elevating device, of ahay-sling consist ng of four lines radiating from a common point towhich the elevating-rope is secured, eyes at the free ends of two saidlines, catches havin g eyes, to which the outer ends of the other linesare secured, a bar across which said catches are secured near its ends,and a forked trip-rope leading to said catches, substantially asdescribed.

3. In a hay-stacker, the combination, with the elevating devices and asling comprising an X-shaped figure of rope, having eyes at two of itsfeet, of two catches, each consisting of a stationary member having aneye in one end, to which the outer end of the rope forming the otherfoot is connected and having its other end hooked, a pivoted member,also having an eye at one end and a hook at the other, a pivot betweenthese members at the extremities of their hooks, and a triprope leadingfrom the eye in the pivoted member, all substantially as and for thepur- IIO arymember having an eye in one end, ahook a trip-rope leadingfrom the eye of the pivat the other end, and a spur within said hook, apivoted member, also having an eye at one end and a hook at the other,this member being double and standing 'ast'ride the stationary member,its sides connected at a pointaboye said spur and the tip of its hookpivoted to that of the other hook, and

oteid member, all substantially as set forth. :0

In testimony whereof IaftiX my signature in presence of two witnesses. 1v

' FRANK W. WHITNEY.

Witnesses:

S. S. VROOMAN, O. J. MARSHALL.

